


The job

by bookaddict43



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-30
Updated: 2009-01-30
Packaged: 2017-10-02 04:58:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookaddict43/pseuds/bookaddict43
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for ana_grrl's Back to Firefly ficathon - prompt # 131 Too close for comfort. Dialogue used from the episode, paraphrased by me is in bold. Friendship fic, pre-Jaylee.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The job

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ana_grrl's Back to Firefly ficathon - prompt # 131 Too close for comfort. Dialogue used from the episode, paraphrased by me is in bold. Friendship fic, pre-Jaylee.

Make sure ya hang on out there.” Jayne admonished Kaylee as he checked the rigging round her waist.

“Yes sir.” She mocked, saluting jauntily.

“I ain’t fooling.” He tightened the straps over her shoulders. “You just do the clever stuff and stay sitting. I’ll do the grunt work.”

He always thought Kaylee, _the mechanic_, was the most important person on any ship.

You could always find a new pilot, another Captain, but a mechanic? One that was a genius with engines, kept the boat going, kept it from falling outta the sky. They were hard to come by.

But it were Kaylee’s idea and with Wash doin’ the flying, only she could do the tech stuff anyway.

He thought it real fine the way she’d stood up to that Saffron and explained her plan.

Jayne had got lost a bit at the beginning specially since it didn’t look like he’d be doing anything, but he woke up when Kaylee said they’d chuck the Lassiter in the garbage. _The garbage! That beautiful gun! He almost groaned._

**“You hit one little button, and the drone whooshes off with the trash.” The mechanic’s face was all bright as she explained.**

“Brilliant,“ said Saffron.

“Thanks.”

”Except it's idiotic,” the devil woman continued. “Those drones take the disposal bins straight to reclamation. Thirty seconds after we hit the button, the booty'll get incinerated.”

_Jayne was all disappointed for the girl, her plan getting shot down like that._

”Not if we reprogram the bin, give it new coordinates.” Kaylee was too delighted with her scheme to be put out by Saffron’s manners. “Once I override the standard guidance protocol, I can tell the disposal bin to go wherever we want.”

”And where would that be?” you could tell the woman was unhappy that she hadn’t come up with the idea, but Jayne grinned his approval to Kaylee.

”The loneliest piece of desert we can find.” Wash answered. “Here, Isis Canyon. Drone dumps the bin; we claim the goods when we're all together again.

”How do you plan on getting to the bin to reprogram it?”

”You get to the loot -- we'll get to the bin.” Kaylee assured her.

Jayne knew that was where he’d come in. The plan was sure to include some sorta thrilling heroics. But he hadn’t expected Kaylee to have to come too. That didn’t sit right.

He was real careful to hold on to her tightly when she came out on the hull and made sure she was sitting securely before he started workin’.

As always, they worked well together. Jayne got the panel off in no time and handed Kaylee the motherboard, watching in admiration as her fingers flew over the keys and components. Carefully he took the hot sheet from her and reached up to put it back, cursing Serenity’s movement all the while.

“Jayne the dyna-ram’s live!”

“What?”

“Don’t touch the…”

A bolt of energy zapped Jayne and he fell with a bang, sliding down Serenity’s hull.

“Oh no, oh no,” Kaylee reached out and grabbed hold of both his collar and the rigging and yelled over the comm. “I need help here! Jayne’s been shocked.”

*******************

She’d had to wait till they sorted out the Saffron generated problems and the Captain was back on board. But now she was on her way to check on Jayne. She was worried ‘bout him, he’d landed with an awful bang and it’d taken a lot of manouevering by her and Zoe to get him through the hatch.

Kaylee hadn’t thought twice ‘bout her part of the plan. With Jayne there she was never too concerned. Aside from Zoe; he was the best at walking the hull whether they were stopped or moving and he was the most careful with the gear.

‘Twas her fault he’d got hurt – if she hadn’t yelled at him right then, Jayne probably would have just slotted in the motherboard without any problems.

“Is Jayne gonna be alright?” she asked the Doctor as he came out of the infirmary.

“Yes. He bruised his spine and I’ve immobilised him, but it should be wearing off about now.”

When Kaylee walked in; Jayne was sitting up slowly and looking uncomfortable ‘bout something. She guessed it was Simon; those two just couldn’t get along no matter what. ‘Course they were chalk and cheese when it came to just ‘bout anything, so she supposed she could understand it.

“We got the Lassiter.” Kaylee announced cheerfully, knowing it would be the first thing he’d ask. “It’s real pretty.” She might not like shooting guns, but some of them sure were beautiful.

“Great,” Jayne grunted, still trying to get his mind around the Doctor’s words. It must have been the crazy girl who figured out what happened, she must have read his brain or something. That was downright creepyfying.

Still the Doc had said no trouble, and he weren’t gonna tell anyone else either. Jayne for sure didn’t want Kaylee knowing what he’d been up to; Kaylee who was standing staring at him questioningly.

“You sure you're alright Jayne?” She peered into his eyes and laid a hand on his forehead. “I just told you we got the Lassiter.”

“Hope I get a look.” Jayne shelved his worry and guilt to salivate over the thought of that beautiful gun.

“Captain’s keeping it out for everyone to have a look. Then it gets locked up till we fence it.” Kaylee smiled at him. “I’m glad to see you up. I was worried.”

“’Bout me?” Jayne was amazed. As far as he knew no-one ever worried ‘bout him.

“Yeah about you,” Kaylee frowned at him. “It was too close for comfort the way you nearly fell off Serenity, ‘specially since it was all my fault.”

“It was nobody’s fault girl, just our bad luck.” Jayne grinned at her and wobbled to his feet. “And I don’t even have to lay here no more, thank Buddha. Wanna help me back to my room?”

“Sure,” Kaylee draped his arm over her shoulder. “But ya arm’s gotta stay there, no wandering.”

"You spoil all my fun Kaylee girl.” Jayne complained, wishing for probably the millionth time that she would let him a little closer.


End file.
